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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stem — to come from
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. craft — boats
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. cold — not warm
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. branch — a division
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. saw — the tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. craft — a skill
  24. arm — a part of something

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com